Synopsis: This is a world where magic works. A world where blood is used to power magic, where Algarvian mages slaughter thousands of Kaunian prisoners in work camps to weave powerful magic in their unrelenting desire to win the war. King Swemmel, lord of Unkerlant, similarly destroys his own subjects in an attempt to stem the Algarvian takeover. A young Kaunian girl is forced to remain hidden while her Forthwegian savior braves the rough, Algarvian-controlled streets to earn their keep. The scholars of Kuusamo are no closer to understanding the bloodless magic that may win the war - and time is short. Kuusamo has joined into an unsteady alliance with Lagoas and Unkerlant. No one kingdom trusts another, but they must unite, for it is only together that they can defeat the Algarvian threat. The war is no longer confined to soldiers and sorcerers. Common folk are joining together to fight from underneath their oppressors, whether they be Algarve or Unkerlant. What those farmer soldiers lack in skill, they make up for in dedication. A dedication that will carry them ... through the darkness. (from the first edition dust jacket)